Page 17 of By Your Side

“I’ve lived here my entire life, so maybe I’m biased, but I think it’s the best place to live. The town is tight-knit and helps each other out. Perfect for starting over.” His love for Willowbrook Lake shines through.

Snorting, I retort, “Really? The ongoing bet would suggest otherwise.”

He smirks. “The bet was for how long you’d last at Frank’s place, not how long you would stay in town.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess I will just have to show everyone.”

Owen’s expression turns a little smug. “Especially now that I’m on board and you’re not relying on YouTube videos to learn how to renovate a decrepit house.”

My lips twitch. “Maybe thinking I could do it all on my own was a stretch, but I know I can help with some things.”

Our conversation shifts to the house as we follow a short loop back to the blanket.

The passion in Owen’s voice when he talks about the steps for the renovations is clear and I see glimpses of the man outside the grump I’ve known so far. He also listens with apt attention when I have ideas, answering questions without judgment, despite some more teasing about my initial attempts at working on the house.

As we break out of the trees back onto the beach, I feel more at ease with him, and I think his opinion of me has improved.

“We were about to send a search party!” Raelynn teases from where she sits, popping a baby carrot into her mouth.

Sitting next to her, I take a muffin and unwrap it, flipping it over to eat the bottom first. “The trails are so beautiful, it’s easy to lose track of time.”

By the time we pack up our picnic, the sun is setting. I don’t do any work around the house when I get home. I feed Nora her special food and make a cup of tea to sip at while I sit outside under the stars.

Looking at the twinkling lights around me, I think about the walk I shared with Owen today. The way he relaxed as we talked, the respectful and kind way he spoke to both Raelynn and Elise. A lot of the worry I had about him being in my home has been alleviated by getting to see him in a different setting. In fact, I’m starting to feel excited about getting to know him better.

That thought gives me pause. Owen has been the star of my thoughts on more than one occasion lately, but the excitement about being close to him and working with him is unexpected.

Huffing out a breath, I shove thoughts about him away. I don’t know where this is coming from, but I need to turn it off. We will work on the house, get it where I want it to be, and then we will be casual acquaintances. The way it should be. Going inside, I ignore the pang that thought sends through my chest.

ten

Adeline

Breathing in the fresh morning air, I soak in the quiet of the morning. This time of day is my favorite. The day is as cool as it will get, the only noise coming from the birds chirping loudly, greeting the day.

My phone chimes with an email, outlining the plan for the upcoming phase of the work. Now that the interior upgrades for plumbing and electrical is done, the outside is scheduled to have its makeover.

Stepping further onto the deck, I hear a crack and know I’ve made a mistake. The weight of my step breaks a board that was rotten and split about halfway through. The rest of the board and my foot goes crashing through as I smash down, my body crumpling onto the rough wood. I land funny as I try to catch myself and a sharp pain rips through my ankle.

“Ow! Oh, shit . . . Oh, it hurts.” Cursing, I fight back the tears of pain. Based on the pulsing in my ankle, I’m guessing at the very least it’s sprained.

Looking around, I finally see my phone and stretch to grab it from where it fell. Dialing the last number to call, I sob in relief when Owen answers on the first ring.

“Adeline? Are you okay?” His voice is sharp with concern when he hears me gasping.

“I misstepped and went through a rotten board on the porch. I might have broken my ankle.”

He swears under his breath and the phone goes silent.

In less than ten minutes, he’s next to me, expression stony. “I’m so mad I didn’t replace that damn board temporarily.”

His voice is rough, but his hands are gentle as he helps me out of my predicament.

Pulling my shoe and sock off, his fingers probe at my swelling ankle. The tender touch makes me whimper in pain.

“I don’t think it’s broken. Let’s go get you checked out.”

Lips quivering, I nod wordlessly. He rumbles low in his chest as he pulls me into his arms and picks me up. To my mortification, I start crying. Burying my face into his neck, I can’t hold back the tears as they fall.

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